Georgia is the place to play
Whether you’re already a devotee or still thinking about giving it a whirl, Georgia is the place to play pickleball. The racquet sport with the whimsical name has taken the Peach State by storm and shows no signs of slowing down.
Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport
in the nation for the past four years.
Pickleball has experienced explosive growth in the U.S. It’s been the fastest-growing sport in the nation for the past four years. Last year alone the number of dedicated pickleball facilities grew a whopping 55% year-over-year.
In 2024, it was estimated that 19.8 million Americans played the sport, a 311% increase since 2021, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s Topline Participation Report for 2025. This is a 45.8% increase from 2023. About 59% are men, while women make up the remaining 41%.
The sport’s popularity is expected to continue. Forecasters are projecting an 11% annual growth rate through 2028.
The pickleball capital
Georgia is one of the states where the sport is growing the fastest, reports pickleheads.com, a website that tracks the sport’s progress. A report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) says Georgia is among seven South Atlantic region states with the highest total number of pickleball players.
The number of courts in the state is growing right along with interest. Pickleheads notes there are 504 pickleball locations with 2,552 courts in Georgia. The count includes 254 public and free pickleball locations with 1,270 courts. The most popular cities for the game are Atlanta, Marietta and Cumming, which have a combined 88 locations for play.
The nation’s largest indoor pickleball facility
is opening in Atlanta.
More public courts and indoor clubs are opening monthly in communities throughout the state. Among them is the Pickleball Club of America, which is expected to be the largest indoor pickleball facility in the country when it opens in Atlanta later this year. The 110,000-square-foot facility will house 30 courts. The project’s developers say they hope to soon see Atlanta recognized as the pickleball capital of the U.S.
Growing the game
Though older players were the first to embrace it, pickleball is now a cross-generational sport, confirm statistics from the USA Pickleball Annual Growth Record. The 25-34 age group now has the most players with 2.3 million. About 1 million youth under age 18 are playing the game, too.
“The largest growth we have seen is with young adults and teenagers who are swarming the courts in the evenings with large groups,” Jody Johnson, director of Walton County Parks and Recreation, told Walton Loving Magazine. “Some play competitively and others play while socializing. Either way they are all getting some form of exercise and have a safe environment to congregate.”
Keeping pace with demand, Walton County recently debuted more outdoor courts at Ayers Park in Between and Criswell Park in Monroe.
Heavy use stemming from the growing popularity of pickleball spurred the Barrow County Parks & Recreation Department to renovate their four outdoor courts this summer. Photo courtesy Barrow County Parks & Recreation
To accommodate the community’s growing passion for pickleball, Walton County Parks recently expanded the number of public outdoor courts at Ayers Park in Between and Criswell Park in Monroe. Four indoor courts are also available most mornings inside the Agriculture Education Center at Criswell. Plans for the new Grove Park in Walnut Grove will add six more outdoor courts.
Increasing interest is also apparent among Georgia’s college crowd. In April, 64 university teams competed for scholarship prizes in the 2025 Collegiate National Pickleball Championship held on courts in Peachtree Corners.
The growth in collegiate players is among the reasons a University of Georgia graduate and his business partner say they are opening a Pickleball Kingdom franchise in Watkinsville. A late summer opening is expected for the 16-court indoor facility.
The headcount for new players also includes those with disabilities. Special Olympics Georgia and Athens Georgia Pickleball are among organizations offering adaptive pickleball opportunities focused on inclusivity and accessibility. Pickleball became a part of Special Olympics Georgia’s State Indoor Winter Games in 2023.
Picking up pickleball
There are ample opportunities for Georgians of any age or ability to learn the game. Many public and private facilities offer introductory classes and clinics designed for beginners, covering basic rules, scoring and strokes.
Johns Creek Recreation & Parks is among many public parks offering nominal-fee instruction. Alpharetta Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services Department offers youth and adult classes at its North Park Tennis & Pickleball Center.
Mixed Pickleball hosts Future Generation clinics in Northeast Georgia to bring youngsters 13 and under to the sport.
Those looking to hone their game can check social media resources like the Oconee County Georgia Pickleball Group or Walton County Pickleball to connect with neighbors about games, courts, equipment and training. Beginners and advanced players alike can also find Georgia courts, coaches, games and other players at pickleheads.com.
Fun and fellowship
Georgians are also discovering the social benefits of pickleball.
Pickle and Social Gwinnett, which opened in Buford in December 2023, urges its patrons to “be more social.” The 4.5-acre, hybrid “eat-ertainment” concept boasts six indoor, eight outdoor and two semi-covered pickleball courts adjacent to a full-service restaurant, rooftop bar, pet-friendly beer garden, music stage and cornhole yard.
Some Georgia churches are offering
pickleball games for recreational ministry.
Grayson United Methodist Church in Grayson is among area churches that are including pickleball in recreation-based outreach initiatives. The church hosts free weekly games — including use of complimentary equipment — for senior adults and over-18 players on three permanent indoor courts. At The Cross in Loganville, the Cross-eyed Picklers proclaim themselves “fun-loving devotees” of the game and invite players of all skill levels to join them for games and fellowship at the church’s six courts.
Whether it’s on a public outdoor court, the nation’s largest indoor facility or the church gym, Georgians are demonstrating their passion for pickleball. Newbies and veterans, young and old, as well as the differently abled all have ample places and opportunities to play the sport. It’s not difficult to imagine that the Peach State will soon be known as the Pickleball State, too.
Pickleball Primer
- Invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Wash., by three dads looking for a game their kids could play together. A family pet, Pickle, is said to have inspired the name.
- Played on a court the same size as a badminton court — and using a shorter tennis-style net — players use paddles to hit a plastic ball between one another.
- Provides good exercise. A 30-minute game can burn up to 300 calories.
- Became a professional sport in 2019 with the formation of two tours, the Association of Pickleball Professionals and the Professional Pickleball Association.
- USA Pickleball is the nation’s governing body of the sport.